Michelin debuts new South guide. Watch to see if any Coast restaurants win a star
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Michelin unveils American South guide Monday; livestream begins 6:15 p.m. CT.
- Inspectors evaluate quality, technique, flavor harmony, chef personality and consistency.
- Mississippi contenders include Vestige, White Pillars, casinos and small coastal kitchens.
Six months after Michelin announced its creation of a guide to the best restaurants in the South, the picks for Mississippi and neighboring states will be revealed Monday.
The presentation for the Michelin Guide American South in Greenville, South Carolina begins at 6:15 p.m. Central Time and can be live streamed on YouTube.
Any restaurant, regardless of its location, size and type of cuisine, is considered for a Michelin Star and inclusion in the new guide. That means some of the winners of a Michelin star could be in South Mississippi.
The other states in the South Guide are Alabama, Louisiana, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. The pre-existing Atlanta guide also is rolled into the new South edition. This is the first regional guide for Michelin.
Vestige in Ocean Springs and White Pillars in Biloxi, two fine dining restaurants that have won prestigious James Beard awards, could make the list. Some of the Coast casino restaurants may be in the running, along with smaller restaurants with great food and big personalities.
“A Michelin Star is awarded to restaurants offering outstanding cooking,” the company website says.
Anonymous inspectors go out and sample restaurants in each of the six states and judge them based on five criteria: quality of the ingredients, harmony of flavors, mastery of techniques, personality of the chef as expressed through their cuisine, and consistency across the entire menu and over time.
The rating system awards one star to “a very good restaurant,” two stars for “excellent cooking worthy of a detour” and the most prestigious three stars for “excellent cuisine worth a special journey.”
A star means supreme bragging rights for any restaurant that achieves one and a big boost to a chef’s career. Only 264 restaurants in the United States have a star before this new South Guide crowns more top places to eat. Of those, only 14 have three stars and 33 have two stars.
This story was originally published November 3, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
